The Spark of Heat
by tareginda
Summary: My impression of how Kirisaki Kyoko join the Apostles of stars
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's note: Black cat does not belong to me, credits to Kentaro Yabuki_**

**_This is just a fanfic I had in my computer since forever? Finally took time to upload this. Just an idea of how my favourite character Kyoko got into Apostles of the Stars_**

* * *

CHAPTER ONE: 

The school bell rang at 3 o'clock, signaling the end of the school day. Scratch of chairs against the floor and noisy chattering contribute to the noise as the students left the classroom. Soon, there were only four students left and one of them is Kirisaki Kyoko. Today was her turn to do the assigned cleaning duties. Three of her fellow classmates began to half-heartily sweep the floor while chattering about the latest entertainment gossip. Kyoko however stood alone by the window, clapping the blackboard dusters to clear the chalk dust.

Kyoko didn't quite remember how it exactly started but it have always been this way. Her fellow classmates didn't quite allow Kyoko into their little cliché of friends. Whether if the classmates are jealous of Kyoko's straight A grades or her beautiful looks of angelic facial features with demonic figure, it was a unanimous agreement among the selfish and petty girls to launch a cold war against the unknowing Kyoko.

Once all of the cleaning duties are done, the classmates immediately left without a word. Kyoko could only sigh as she unwillingly took the black file from the teacher's desk; her final task is to return the class roster to their home teacher. At the staff room, Kyoko could only smile politely as the teacher sing praises of her good grades.

By the time she is ready to go home, the skies have already fade to the golden sheen with hints of pearly clouds. As Kyoko walk pass the school field, she could see the girl's track team busy training. Perhaps she should join an after-school activity? Nah, she just can't bring out enough energy to do so.

It feels worse when she reach her rented apartment. Her parents are on yet another overseas business trips, leaving her alone in Japan. The silence of the empty house lies over thick like an invisible suffocating blanket, obstructing Kyoko's state of mind. The loneliness and emptiness is slowly rotting her heart. Night comes and the apartment remains dark. With only the television turn on for light, Kyoko silently ate her instant noodles as she watch the MTV channel without really focusing. The light from the television set flicker onto Kyoko's pale emotional-less face.

After the merge dinner and a long bubble bath, Kyoko begun to study. Studying is only the life buoy that keeps her afloat and sane. Studying is what makes Kyoko's time pass faster. Studying fill her mind of important facts and information which will help her to get into the best universities in Japan.

_... Instead of the questions 'Why'_

_... ... Why indeed._

That night, Kyoko fall asleep on her open math book with a single tear rolling off her cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's note: Black cat does not belong to me, credits to Kentaro Yabuki._**

**_Warning: un-beta read._**

* * *

Today there was a school outing for science lesson. The agenda was to visit the forest near the mountains to collect various specimens of leaves. On the school bus, every seat is taken expect for the one beside Kyoko. No one wants to be associated with Kirisaki Kyoko. 

Kyoko heave a silent lonely sigh. This morning she did try her best to greet a cheerful "Good morning" to one of her classmates, but the only respond she got is bitter silence. She rest against the window pane and prop her hand to support her cheek. Her eyes wander to her follow classmates, some were talking animatedly, and some were clowning around. She sighs again. _"What did I do?"_ She thought to herself, as her eyes turn towards outside and stare aimlessly at the vast forest scenery.

_Nothing_

Despite the hot summer weather, the forest stays relatively cool under the shades of the majestic aged trees. When the teacher instructs the students to pair up in twos, Kyoko was left standing alone in the middle. The girls start to whisper among themselves.

_"Hehe, look at her, she look like an idiot standing there."  
__"No, you got it wrong, she **IS** an idiot. She's practically a retard!"  
__"No one wants to pair up with her! She's so pathetic!"_

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" The concern science teacher, by the name Mrs. Nana asks.  
"I'll be all right, Mrs. Nana, I'll stay close to the others." Kyoko forced a confident reply.

Ms Nana look around in concern, she could stay with Kyoko but she have to look out for the other students too. "All right then, don't worry because I'll be here to look after all of you." The kind teacher promises.

"All right, everyone!" The teacher claps her hands for her student's attention. "Your task for today is to collect 8 different of leaves by 4pm. Stay close with your partner and don't wander too far away! Let's go!"

* * *

There were still 30 minutes till the gathering time. In the middle of the quiet forest, three students (the same three girls from yesterday) were fooling around, their assignment has all forgotten. 

"Hey, look at this!"  
"Gross, that's like, a totally fat bug! It looks exactly like Ms Nana!"

"Hahaha!" They burst out laughing. One of them brought out a packet of cigarettes and share with her friends. Soon trails of reeking smoke appear as the teenagers inhale the sticks of poison. They continue to gossip about the meaningless stuff.

"Have you heard, the police still haven't found Echidna Parass?"  
"Do you mean the award winning actress who acts in the last summer romantic movie?"  
"The police didn't find any suicide notes, dead bodies or any clues! Even her manager is clueless! It is as if she has disappear into thin air!"  
"What if she is to … reappear here right now!?"

" … … … Excuse me…"

A new voice make the three delinquents quickly throw away their cigarettes in vain and turn their head around to see who dares to intrude them.

"Tch, it's only the bimbo." One of the girls rolls her eyes at the unwelcome newcomer.

The insult went over the naive Kyoko's head. She remains calm as she walks towards the girls. "… We should go back now. It's almost time to assemble." Kyoko suggest, referring to the time to return to the school bus.

"!!! What!? Does that mean you're following us!?" the girls complain loudly in displease.

"Well, Mrs. Nana did tell us to stay close to each other and you're the only team with the odd number so…" Kyoko explain. It's not like she wanted to follow after them too.

"Damn it, this means she saw us smoking!" One of the girls exclaims much to the alarm of the girls.

"Well, the cigarette smell from your uniform is already very obvious" Kyoko point out.

"That's it! I HAD it with you!" One of the girls snapped. "Get her!"

* * *

Kyoko look up in daze. She is forced to stand against one of the trees. She must have hit her head against the truck and black out for a second. Two of the classmates are pin her arms against the tree while the assumed leader stood in front of her. 

"You think you're so smart. Well I know your game. You're just trying to get us into trouble." The leader mock her.  
"… … … …" Kyoko remain quiet, still dazed from the bump.

The leader held up her lighter and lit it. Her accomplices began to snicker in glee. The leader bought the lighter close to Kyoko's face. For a moment, Kyoko stared within the flame almost in hypnotize. Intense heat spread around her face and she feel stings of heat on her eyelashes and eyebrows. Kyoko immediately turn her face away from the flame in pain. She can't believe what just happen, they just singe her eyelashes and eyebrows on purpose.

"Mwhaha! Look you just melt her thick makeup!" Kyoko heard the girls teasing her. Tears appear in her eyes, partially at the throbbing rhyme of fiery pain on her eyelashes and eyebrows. However, perhaps it is years of begin left alone by her parents have taught Kyoko to be self-determine. She held in any cries of pain and remains stubborn, even when the bully began to set the flame onto her fingers.

The flame's blue tongue licks at Kyoko's fingers and her flesh began to blister from the heat, but she does not give in and endure the burning pain. "Look, I think she's too fat to feel any pain!" one of the girls sneer at her victim, half disappointed at how unruffled Kyoko appear.

"Burn her! Burn her! Burn her! **BURN HER!**" The two girls began to chant as the leader decided to position the lighter dangerously close to Kyoko's skirt. Kyoko began to panic and start to thrash about. The leader however laughs in amusement at the pathetic display of the Kyoko. The two girls too struggle to hold onto Kyoko against her will.

"Stop moving so much, you bi…" The girl never got to complete her curse. Somehow she lost her grip on Kyoko's right arm. As Kyoko broke loose and start to fling her arms around with wild abandon. With a terror-driven strength, she shoves her elbow into the bully's mouth with a sickening crack.

"… …. …. " There was a moment of shocked silence between all of the girls., as they stared at the bully who is covering her mouth in pain. "You … You … You ba-th-tard, th-ou broke m-th th-eeth!" In fact, one of her front teeth broke into half. Half of her front teeth suspend perilously, threatening to drop off any second. The girl's anger explode, impulsively she grab Kyoko by the collar and attempt to slap her. Kyoko wasn't about to let that happen and they began to wrestle, much to the amusement of the rest of the girls.

"Get her! You can do it!" The bullies cheer on their friend. The girl with a broken tooth shoves Kyoko. Kyoko was forced to take two step behind and step onto loose soil. Without warning the earth crumple and collapse under Kyoko's weight. She lost her balance and trip backwards. Kyoko's eyes open wide in shock as she fall downwards into the unseen void. A silent scream got trapped in her throat, unable to call out for help.

_The three girls whose faces are in shocked … the forest trees dancing to the wind … the blue skies in very blue color… there are last vision she saw before dark vision engulf her totally._

* * *

"Oh my god, did you just kill her!?" one of the girls shriek as she kneel by the newly form cliff.  
"Of cour-th-e I didn'th kill th-er! Oww… my th-ooth hurt-th!" The another girl complain.  
"Wait, I see her! She's by the tree!"  
"… What now!?"  
"… … … I have an idea!"

* * *

Kyoko have to admit, she's lost, very lost. She woke up to a bruised body. She looks up to the new cliff and knew she just fall down of around 2 storeys tall. She practically had to force herself to stand up and hope to meet up with everyone. She look at her hand phone, 30 minutes have gone past the meeting up time. She hopes the teacher didn't quite forget about her!

It was then she look down the cliff and notice a bus leaving, a very familiar bus. Sickening feelings immediately filled her stomach as the realization struck her like a mallet hitting at full force. 

She is left behind.

* * *

"Are you sure someone picks up Kyoko earlier?" Mrs. Nana repeats her question.  
"Of course! Mrs. Nana, you ask us at least twenty times already! We SAW this man with a car and meet up with Kyoko. She herself told us she's leaving early with her Daddy."  
"... That's not really like her ...", Mrs. Nana sign and finally give in. "Ah well, I supposed it should be all right if it's her father." She began to scribble in the attendance book. 

The girl excuses herself and return to the group of friends, who are busy whispering furiously among themselves.

_"Ne ne, do you think it's her real father or one of her sugar daddies?"  
__"I always thought that she's proud, but to think she's actually go into prostituting!"_

The three classmate wink and smile to themselves wickedly. Revenge can be so sweet.

* * *

_**Author notes: A longer chapter for "The Spark of Heat" sigh If I like Kyoko so much, why do I toture her so much? m( )m**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Black cat does not belong to me, credits to Kentaro Yabuki.  
**

* * *

Evening approach and turns the original sunny blue skies into an ominous grey shade. Little precious rays of sunlight penetrate through the gaps of the tree's leaves. Kirisaki Kyoko stumbles tiredly onwards, not knowing where exactly she is. Smudges of dirt cover her fair face and her school uniform. She even lost one of her school leather shoes. Her body aches from numerous bruises and her head throb with pain. In the high mountains, her mobile phone couldn't get the signal to make a SOS call and she doubts anybody will be around to hear her screams for help.

_"What have I done to deserve this?"_

Almost zombie-like, she tiredly trudges on. Twice she slips on loose soil and have a clumsily fall down, adding more streaks of dirt onto her clothing. Suddenly she feels an intense flash of pain on her leg. She let a surprised gasp and immediately glances downwards. A broken but sharp twig has stab through her leg, leaving an open wound. Red blood began to gush out from the new wound. Kyoko force herself to limp towards a moss cover rock. She sits down and examines the wound in daze. Carefully, she uses her handkerchief to wipe the blood and tie the cartoon decorated cloth over the wound.

Heaving and panting, she looks up in the skies, not surprised at the sight of the starry night heavens now.

_"Where am I going to sleep?"  
__"What can I eat? I'm so hungry..."_

Kyoko lick her dried lips, how she wish for a cup of cold cola now! The sounds of the night forest bring no comfort to the city girl. A lone howling of the beast calls for it's family. Kyoko hugs herself in attempt to stop shivering from the cold and fear.

_"Will I be starved to death?"  
__"Will I die from the cold?"  
__"Will I be eaten by wild animals?"_

Kyoko could only stare blankly in the air. Hunger and cold air does not help in thinking logically. _"Daddy... Mummy..."_

* * *

When Kyoko was a child, her parents were always working from day to night. Every night they will came home late in exhaustion. Every morning they will rush off to work in the hurry. Then one day, they were given a well-deserved promotion. Oh the celebration! Daddy and Mummy were invited to a wonderful ball with many men in black tuxedo like artic penguins and ladies in shimmering evening gown like a peacock. At least that's how the housekeeper described that night of celebration on her ten-year old birthday. 

But after a few days after that night, they stop coming home at all. Instead they began to travel to many countries. She had lost count of the duration of her parents' overseas business trips. At first she was not lonely. First a bicycle with rainbow tassels decorating at the handles come in mail, then a beautiful western-style dress came in next. More and more toys and gifts come in mail, each exceeding the quality and loveliness then the last toy that come before. She didn't quite care about the gifts, she is happy enough because her beloved parents _remember_ her.

Three years later, the presents stop coming

"You're too old for toys, Kyoko. Besides we don't have the time to go shopping." Kyoko's father cited the reason in his extremely rare phone call.

Kyoko gently place the phone back to the cradle. As if a dormant volcano finally unleashes its fearsome lava, so did the young girl. The explosive emotional rush gives her a rush of energy.

Logic, common sense, reason, consequence: - all of those meaning flew out of the window…, along with the bicycle with rainbow tassels. **BAM!** Distant sounds of metal hitting concrete, follow by the showering of the tiny fragment of broken glasses can be heard. Surprising, those sounds make Kyoko feel a little better.

Relying more on her emotions now, the young teenager began to grab the nearest item within her reach and threw them viscously against the wall. Decorations on the shelf went flying and dented the wall. Coffee table forced to flip over and crash against the wooden cabinet, Mirrors and television screen shattered into tidy shards from the ammunition of small toys and statues. Barbie dolls ripped into parts.

Using painting like a mock baseball bat, she striked the framed pictures against anything- the wall, the television, the floor. The frame broke into chucks of wood and broken glass from the damage. Splinters and little cuts appear on her skin, but she ignores the pain. Finally, she threw the broken wooden frame, which smashed through a tall vase. Large pieces of glass fall onto the floor with a melody of cheerless ringing. Throughout the ordeal, she relish in the sounds follow by the destruction by her own two hands.

The living room may be destroyed, but her anger is not yet appeased. She storm into her room and slam open her cupboard. She grabbed an armload of her beautiful dress – some out grown, some still wearable, and dump into a pile on the floor. One by one, she cut the beautiful garments into shreds with a scissors. Tears fall steadily like a river.

_The shattering of glass, the hallow screech of metal, the breaking of wood, the tearing of cloth. It was as if it is enough to cover up the screams of anger from her heart._

"_We can't come home yet, we don't have time, we're far too busy"_

"_for you"_

Unable to take it anymore, she screamed and yelled. She cried till her voice went hoarse and her throat dried up. Tears fall for far too long, and her eyes burn from crying too much. Her head throb with pain, a headache caused by the overwhelming amount of unhealthy emotions. The front door knob turn and, the housekeeper came rushing in. She gazed over at the demolish living room and stole a look at the sobbing child in her room. For a moment the housekeeper gaze on her charge before she quietly left the house.

Just as abruptly her anger flare, so did her body weaken as pure fatigue drown out her anger and sadness. Finally she collapses into a pile. Sobbing, crying alone.

_Alone._

Next day, she woke up to devastate scenery. Cold blood and guilt runs through her veins. She hurriedly washes up and wore her school uniform by reflex. She rushes to the school but stop at the entrance of the school entrance.

_The silent treatment, the side glance, the whispering rumors._

She just couldn't go to school. Not today. Skipping out? She have seen her fellow classmate did that but she never try that before. She turn around her back to the school and walk away.

First of all Kyoko went to the theater to catch a movie. Next she went to the arcade center but she got thrown out by the security guards. Stubbornly Kyoko bought a blue jacket to cover up her uniform. That work as a charm and she spend hours playing the arcade games. She got even bolder and went into the candy shop and bought most of the candy. That's when she fall in love with sweets and biscuits and any snack food.

At night, Kyoko is tired after the whole day of fun and games. She stood alone by the lobby, thinking up of every possible scenario and dreading each possible results. Gathering courage, she went home, expecting a hell of the mess. Instead the house seems intact. New furniture, paintings and various decorations refurnish the ones damage. The window pane is replaced with a new one. Everything is in place, as if nothing have happen.

The confused teenager then notice a note begin stuck on the fridge: it seems the housekeeper have change her work timetable to come once a week, the time period matches with the timing when Kyoko is in school. Night came but there were no phone call from her parents demanding for an explanation. She seat on her bed, hugging her knees to chest. She stared blankly at the wall in front of her. It was as if nothing has happen at all, only a few minor cuts on her hand testify that something horrible _did_ happen. On her 13th age, she learn a significant lesson.

_Sadness won't make her parents come back.  
__Anger chase away her nanny.  
__What's the use of showing these unhappy emotions? What's the point?  
__Anger, sadness, lock into the small jeweler box in her heart, and never see the light of the day.  
__There's no point to show any emotional anyway… after all, no one will come for her…_

* * *

Something bought her from her thoughts. Kyoko had to blink twice, squirt her eyes, rub it and stare harder at it again. 

At the far hill in front of her, despite the dim night, there was a fine outline of a cottage with lights on. With a sudden burst of determination, Kyoko push herself upwards and struggle towards that single source of light which could be her only hope.

It must have taken hours to arrive at her destination. Even Kyoko's hand phone has run out of battery. She tiredly push aside one of the bush and collapsed into the grassy lawn. For a moment she lie on her back, panting for breathe. She could hardly care about how dirty, hungry, thirsty or how painful her wound on her leg is now. Tilting her head towards the cottage, she noted she's in a well-maintain garden with many red roses as the main decoration. She wonders how she could ask for help.

"What's this?" Kyoko hears a deep raspy voice. She tilt her head to the origin and find herself staring at this weirdly dressed ... person with a bundle of purple cloth covering it's head. Where did this guy even come from? She didn't see him approaching at all. She feel a horrible stinging sensation on her thigh and she flinch in pain. She looks down to see a bee hovering above of a new red mark on her skin. Drowsiness began to overwhelm her as her vision blur, as she finally slump into dead faint.

* * *

Author's thoughts: Tehe Erm… Hi everyone. "waves hand weakly" 

(Someone in the audience start to shoot with Hades.)

OH MY GAWD! (does a chicken dance while avoiding the bullets)

Sorry for the slow update. I was distract by this awesome cartoon call "Teen Titans" (the animated one, not comic) and was busy writing fanfictions for my favorite pairing Kid Flash X Jinx

Depressing chapter, wish I can portray Kyoko's outburst with more "angriness" then "sadness". Hope it's not too weird… and keep eating up my paragraphs! I have to re-enter each missing words when I upload


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